Bill Text: NJ S784 | 2022-2023 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires Police Training Commission to establish police officer licensure program.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-01-18 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Law and Public Safety Committee [S784 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2022-S784-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator TROY SINGLETON
District 7 (Burlington)
SYNOPSIS
Requires Police Training Commission to establish police officer licensure program.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning licensing of police officers and supplementing Title 52 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. In addition to its duties and responsibilities pursuant to section 6 of P.L.1961, c.56 (C.52:17B-71), the Police Training Commission shall develop and implement a licensure program for State, county, and municipal law enforcement officers. The program shall establish mandatory requirements and minimum standards of competency for licensure.
b. The commission shall establish procedures for the issuance and renewal of licenses when officers meet the qualifications set forth in the licensure program.
c. The commission shall develop and administer in-service training courses and the curriculum necessary for licensing officers pursuant to the provisions of the licensure program.
d. The commission shall establish parameters for revoking the license of an officer for criminal convictions, official misconduct, excessive use of force, civil rights violations, acts of dishonesty, and any other conduct deemed unbecoming of an officer as determined by the commission.
e. The appointing authority shall report every adverse action taken against an officer for conduct for which a license can be revoked pursuant to subsection d. of this section.
f. An officer shall be provided with notice and an opportunity for a hearing before a license may be revoked.
g. An officer whose license has been revoked shall not be appointed to any other State, county, or municipal law enforcement agency in this State.
h. The Attorney General shall promulgate regulations pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), necessary to effectuate the provisions of this section.
2. This act shall take effect on the first day of the seventh month next following enactment except the Attorney General may take any anticipatory administrative action in advance necessary to implement this act.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the Police Training Commission (PTC) in the Department of Law and Public Safety to develop and implement a program for licensing all State, county, and municipal police officers in New Jersey. The program is to include mandatory requirements and minimum standards of competency.
The PTC is required to establish procedures for the issuance and renewal of licenses when police officers meet the qualifications set forth in the program. As part of the licensing program, the PTC also is to develop and administer in-service police training courses and the curriculum necessary for police officer licensure.
The PTC also is required to establish parameters for revoking the license of a police officer for a criminal conviction, official misconduct, excessive use of force, civil rights violations, acts of dishonesty, and any other behavior deemed unbecoming of a law enforcement officer. Adverse actions taken against police officers by the employing agency for violations are to be reported to the PTC.
The bill requires police officers to be provided with notice and an opportunity for a hearing before their license can be revoked. State, county, and municipal law enforcement agencies are prohibited from hiring a police officer whose license has been revoked.
Finally, the bill requires the Attorney General to promulgate regulations governing the police officer licensing program established by the bill.
